Food Serving Dispenser and Protected Food Serving, and Method of Use Thereof

ABSTRACT

A food serving dispenser and protected food servings dispensed from the dispenser. The dispenser comprises a cylindrical container having a central stem that extends upward from the base of the container. The stem and container walls are dimensioned to receive a cylindrical protected food serving that comprises a food serving, such as a slice of cream cheese, that is sandwiched between two layers of film, preferably a plastic film such as cellophane or similar. The plastic film layers have tabs that are staggered within the cylindrical container to allow removal of a single protected food slice by grasping the tabs and pulling the protected food slice from the cylindrical container. The food servings are sealed within the plastic film, which is separable at perforations by pulling the tabs apart.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS None FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT None PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT None REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING None BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to protective containers for food and protected food servings therein, and more specifically to a dispenser/container for cylindrical sized food servings, such as cream cheese that is dimensioned to provide a bagel topping.

2. Description of Related Art

When food products are served, they are often prepared in food layers, such as is the case with closed- or open-faced sandwiches. One such set of food layers is a bagel half with cream cheese on the exposed flat inside of the bagel half.

While it is desirable to prepare food slices such as cream cheese, such slices rapidly deteriorate if exposed to atmospheric conditions and can become contaminated. Such is more likely with individual slices than with bulk food products.

One previous approach to solving this problem was to package rectangular slices of cheese by interweaving layers of cellophane between the cheese slices. In this approach, the cellophane layers are approximately the width of the cheese slices and only serve to facilitate dispensing of same. Unfortunately, the cellophane does not protect the cheese slices from damage to the edge areas of the slices, nor from degradation due to environmental conditions since the edges are exposed. Moreover, this approach is unsuited to separating circular cheese slices, particularly if trying to store the food layers in a cylindrical container.

As noted, food slices such as cheese may be protected by wrapping same in cellophane layers and then securing in a package. Such is typically done by wrapping the cheese slices with the aforementioned rectangular protective sheet. Unfortunately, once removed, while fresh, the cheese slice does not conform to the dimension of circular products such as bagels.

Packaging of the food slices has been addressed by another approach of forming a circular cheese slice with a center aperture that provides the cheese slice with dimensions similar to those of a bagel half. However, such approach further identified wrapping the circular cheese slice with a rectangular protective layer of plastic film. Again, such a rectangular package is not conducive to dispensing from a cylindrical container and does not seal all the edges of the cheese slice against environmental contamination.

Still another device provides a sealed sleeve that provides protection against environmental elements, but the sleeve is again rectangular and thus unsuited to dispensing from a cylindrical container.

Yet another device provides a cylindrical container for storing food slices such as cheese. The cylindrical container has a short stem in the cover portion thereof that serves to position a bagel half therein when the cover portion is inverted and placed on a table surface. Unfortunately, this device lacks a long enough central stem to engage the food slices therein to prevent same from moving about within the container which could result in damage.

Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for a food serving dispenser and protected food slices therein, wherein the food serving dispenser dispenses sized portions of food such as cheese slices, keeping same fresh until use and preventing damage to the slices from motion of the container.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and meets the recognized need for such a device by providing a food serving dispenser and protected food servings dispensed from the dispenser. The dispenser comprises a cylindrical container having a central stem that extends upward from the base of the container. The stem and container walls are dimensioned to receive a cylindrical protected food serving that comprises a food serving, such as a slice of cream cheese, that is sandwiched between two layers of film, preferably a plastic film such as cellophane or similar. The plastic film layers have tabs that are staggered within the cylindrical container to allow removal of a single protected food slice by grasping the tabs and pulling the protected food slice from the cylindrical container. The food servings are sealed within the plastic film, which is separable at perforations by pulling the tabs apart.

According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the present invention in its preferred form is a food package for containing a plurality of food product servings that are generally circular, such as cream cheese slices dimensioned to fit on a bagel, each slice sealed within a pair of generally circular protective layers to form a protected food serving, and a container having a base, a cover, a cylindrical wall that is substantially the same diameter but slightly greater than the outside diameter of the protected food servings, and a central stem disposed within the container, wherein the central stem is substantially the height of the cylindrical wall and is substantially the same diameter as, but slightly less than, the inner hole diameter of the protected food servings. The central stem is further secured to the base at a joint comprising a fairing between the base and the central stem.

Each of the pair of protective layers has a grasping tab and a separable seal comprising an outer peripheral seal and an inner peripheral seal. The separable seal has relieved separation lines. In the container, the grasping tabs of the protective layers are staggered to prevent more than one food serving being pulled out of the container when the topmost food serving is removed.

A plurality of food servings are disposed within the container, and the cylinder is covered with the cover for storing/transporting. When needed, the servings are accessed by removing the cover, gripping one of the plurality of protected food servings via the grasping tabs and removing the one of the plurality of protected food servings from the container by pulling the grasping tabs. Once removed, the grasping tabs are pulled apart at the separable joint to expose the food product. The paired protective sheets are removed and the food product is placed on a food item, such as a bagel.

More specifically, the present invention is a food serving dispenser comprising a container having a peripheral wall, a cover, a central stem, a fairing and a base. The fairing forms a curved joint between the stem and the base, thereby strengthening the stem. The food serving dispenser further contains protected food slices. The protected food slices comprise a top sheet, a bottom sheet and a food slice having a central opening. The top sheet is disposed above the slice and the bottom sheet is disposed below the slice, and the top and bottom sheets are subsequently sealed together via an inner seal at their openings (inside the opening of the slice), and an outer seal (outside the slice periphery).

The top and bottom sheets each has an opening of approximately the same diameter as the opening in the food slice, each has a tab, an outer separation line and an inner separation line, wherein the top tab and the bottom tab can be gripped together as a single tab. The separation lines have fracturable relieved areas, such as, for exemplary purposes only, a partially dimpled/weakened area, and the tabs have checkering thereon. The top and bottom sheets each have unrelieved areas that facilitate separation of the sheets from one another when the tabs are pulled apart. The openings of the top sheet, the bottom sheet and the food slice coincide and are dimensioned to fit closely over the stem.

The protected food slices are disposed in the container with their tabs staggered so that grasping the tab of the topmost protected food slice will result in removal of only the topmost protected food slice from the container. In use, the cover is removed from the container, thereby exposing the topmost protected food slice which is grasped between a person's thumb and forefinger. The topmost protected food slice is pulled from the container. The cover may then be replaced for storage of the protected food slices.

Finally, the tabs are pulled apart, breaking the seals. The sheets are separated at their respective inner separation lines and outer separation lines thereby exposing the slice, and the sheets are removed, and the slice is placed on a bagel.

Accordingly, a feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to keep food slices fresh.

Another feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to save space by containing circular food slices in a cylindrical container.

Still another feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to provide easy access and extraction of food slices individually from the container.

Yet another feature and advantage of the present invention is its ability to keep food slices from moving within the container and from consequent damage due to such movement.

Yet still another feature and advantage of the present invention is that the food slices are easily removed from their protective wrapper for serving.

A further feature and advantage of the present invention is that it preserves freshness of food slices.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description and claims when read in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood by reading the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which like reference numerals denote similar structure and refer to like elements throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food serving dispenser according to a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 2 depicts a cutaway perspective view of the food serving dispenser of FIG. 1 with cover removed, the dispenser containing protected food servings;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a stack of protected food servings according to a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is top view of a stack of protected food servings in the food serving dispenser of FIG. 1, shown with cover of food serving dispenser removed;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a protected food serving according to a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view depicting a person removing a protected food serving from the food serving dispenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6B is a perspective view depicting a person removing sealing layers from a cream cheese slice; and

FIG. 7 depicts a cream cheese slice disposed upon a bagel according to a preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In describing the preferred embodiments of the present invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-7, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. The invention, however, is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish similar functions.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-7, the present invention in a preferred embodiment is food serving dispenser 10 comprising container 20 having peripheral wall 25. Food serving dispenser further comprises cover 30, stem 40, fairing 50 and base 55, wherein fairing 50 is disposed to provide a curved joint between stem 40 and base 55, thereby strengthening stem 40. Stem 40 extends upward from base 55 and is substantially the same height as peripheral wall 25. Food serving dispenser 10 further comprises protected food slices 60 disposed therewithin.

Protected food slices 60 comprise top sheet 62, bottom sheet 64 and slice 100, wherein slice 100 comprises opening 80, and wherein top sheet 62 is disposed above slice 100, and wherein bottom sheet 64 is disposed below slice 100 (best shown in FIG. 5). Top sheet 62 comprises opening 80, top tab 70A, outer separation line 130A and inner separation line 140A, and bottom sheet 64 comprises opening 80, bottom tab 70B, outer separation line 130B and inner separation line 140B, wherein top tab 70A and bottom tab 70B together comprise tab 70 (best shown in FIGS. 2-4). Separation lines 130A, 130B comprise any relieved area that will fracture when subject to force, such as, for exemplary purposes only, a partially dimpled/weakened area as is known in the art. Top tab 70A and bottom tab 70B each comprise checkering 90 thereon.

Top sheet 62 optionally comprises first unrelieved area 131A and bottom sheet 64 optionally comprises second unrelieved area 131B, wherein unrelieved areas 131A, 131B facilitate separation of sheets 62, 64 from each other when tabs 70A, 70B are pulled apart. Openings 80 of top sheet 62, bottom sheet 64 and slice 100 coincide. Top sheet 62 and bottom sheet 64 are sealed together around slice 100 to form outer seal 110 and inner seal 120, and wherein seals 110, 120 comprise a releasable seal as is known in the art. Outer seal 110 is disposed outboard of slice 100 and inner seal 120 is disposed inboard of slice 100.

Protected food slices 60 are disposed in container 20, wherein tabs 70 of protected food slices 60 are staggered one from each other (best shown in FIGS. 2-4). Openings 80 in sheets 62, 64 and slice 100 are dimensioned to receive stem 40, wherein stem 40 restrains protected food slices 60 from movement that could otherwise damage protected food slices 60. Accordingly, grasping of tab 70 of the topmost protected food slice 61 will result in removal of topmost protected food slice 61 from container 20 without removal of remaining protected food slices 60 disposed below topmost protected food slice 61.

In use, food serving dispenser 10 containing protected food slices 60 is obtained from a food supplier. A person desiring food removes cover 30 from container 20, thereby exposing topmost protected food slice 61. The person grasps tab 70 of topmost protected food slice 61, such as, for exemplary purposes only, between person's thumb T1 and forefinger F1, and pulls topmost protected food slice 61 from container 20, thereby exposing another of protected food slices 60. The person then replaces cover 30 for storage of protected food slices 60.

To create a food product with protected food slice 60 thereon or therein, the person grasps tab 70A between thumb T1 and forefinger F1 and separately grasps tab 70B between thumb T2 and forefinger F2 and pulls top sheet 62 and bottom sheet 64 apart, breaking seals 110, 120, and separates sheets 62, 64 at their respective inner separation lines 140A, 140B and outer separation lines 130A, 130B, thereby exposing slice 100 (best shown in FIG. 6B). Finally, slice 100 is disposed upon, for exemplary purposes only, bagel B (best shown in FIG. 7).

The foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present invention. Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only, and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. Merely listing or numbering the steps of a method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of that method. Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Although specific terms may be employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein, but is limited only by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A food package containing a food product, said food package comprising: a plurality of food product servings each sealed within a pair of protective layers to form a protected food serving; and a container comprising a base, a cover, a cylindrical wall and a central stem disposed within said container, wherein said central stem is substantially the height of the cylindrical wall.
 2. The food package of claim 1, wherein each of said pair of protective layers comprises at least one separable seal.
 3. The food package of claim 2, wherein each of said protective layers comprises a grasping tab.
 4. The food package of claim 2, wherein said separable seal comprises an outer peripheral seal and an inner peripheral seal.
 5. The food package of claim 2, wherein said separable seal comprises relieved separation lines.
 6. The food package of claim 1, wherein said food product servings comprise cream cheese slices.
 7. The food package of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical wall is substantially the same diameter but slightly greater than the outside diameter of the protected food servings.
 8. The food package of claim 1, wherein said central stem comprises substantially the same diameter but slightly less than the inner hole diameter of the protected food servings.
 9. The food package of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of food product servings is dimensioned to fit a bagel.
 10. The food package of claim 3, wherein when each of said plurality of food servings is disposed within said container, and wherein said grasping tabs of said protective layers are staggered, thereby preventing more than one food serving being pulled out of said container when a topmost food serving is removed.
 11. The food package of claim 1, wherein said central stem is secured to said base at a joint, and wherein said joint comprises a fairing between said base and said central stem.
 12. The food package of claim 1, wherein said food product serving comprises: a cream cheese slice having an outer diameter and an inner diameter of substantially the same diameters as the outside diameter and inner hole diameter respectively of a bagel.
 13. A method of dispensing food, said method comprising the steps of: disposing a plurality of servings of a food product within paired protective sheets to form protected food servings, wherein each pair of said paired protective sheets is sealed together via a separable joint, and wherein each sheet of said paired protective sheets comprises a grasping tab; disposing said protected food servings within a container, wherein said container comprises a cylinder with a central stem therewithin and a base; and covering said cylinder with a cover.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: removing said cover; gripping one of said plurality of protected food servings via said grasping tabs; removing said one of said plurality of protected food servings from said container by pulling said grasping tabs; and pulling said grasping tabs of said paired protective sheets apart at said separable joint, thereby exposing said food product.
 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of: separating said paired protective sheets; and removing said food product from said paired protective sheets.
 16. The method of claim 15, said method further comprising the step of: disposing said food product on a food item.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein said protected food serving comprises a cheese slice, said method further comprising the step of: disposing said food product on a bagel.
 18. A protected food serving comprising: a generally circular food slice; a generally circular top protective sheet; and a generally circular bottom protective sheet, wherein said protective sheets are sealed together at an outer seal and an inner seal.
 19. The protected food serving of claim 18, wherein said generally circular top protective sheet and said generally circular bottom protective sheet each comprise an inner relieved separation line and an outer relieved separation line.
 20. The protective food serving of claim 18, wherein said protective food serving is disposed within a container for dispensing said food serving, said container comprising a base, a cover, a cylindrical wall and a central stem disposed within said cylindrical wall, wherein said central stem is substantially the height of said cylindrical wall. 